Whose idea was that?
 Your
questions, theoretical or practice, historical or futuristic about
ideas, innovation and invention were answered though a direct link
to the State Library Reference Centre. Your questions and the State
Library's answers are presented here.
The questions
The answers
How did the use of surnames become commonplace in the Anglo/Saxon/Celtic
tradition?
Submitted by D.Campbell, Wilston, 15 August
I am responding to your enquiry about the use of surnames in the
Anglo/Saxon/Celtic tradition. I have found two useful websites which
you may like to visit. The first belongs to the U.K. Society of
Genealogists and suggests that surnames started being used by the
common people during the 13th century but were not common until
the end of the 14th century. The address is: www.sog.org.uk/leaflets/surnames.html
The second website was put together by Angela Petyt, a lecturer
in family and local history, also from the U.K. She describes the
spread of the use of surnames in England. The address for the site
"Origins of surnames" is http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~petyt/surnames.htm
Who invented the synthetic hardboard used for insulation, panelling
and general wall construction called Masonite?
William Mason was the inventor of Masonite. Masonite is produced
by heating wood chips and pressing them together to form large panels.
The invention of Masonite could be considered a fortunate accident.
During the 1920s William Mason, an inventor from Mississippi, wanted
to find a use for the tons of wood chips that were going to waste
on saw mill floors. Using a leaky nineteenth-century steam press
Mason set about to produce an insulation board. One day in 1924,
Mason accidentally left the steam on while he went to lunch. He
returned to find that the overdose of steam had produced a tough
sheet of hardboard. (Source: World of Invention 2nd ed, Gale)
Did Nichola Tesla's 'transmitting of power through the air' project
really exist?
Submitted by: P.Valencia
Yes it really did happen. Tesla invented a type of induction coil
which we know as the Tesla Coil. The Boston Museum of Science has
several of these coils in its collection and the largest one is
about 8 feet tall and 4 feet across. According to the Boston MOS
http://www.mos.org/sln/toe/tesla.html,
"Tesla Coils are really air-cored transformers that convert
electricity into a high frequency, high voltage form and pump it
out into the air. In the case of [the] big coils that is about a
quarter of a million volts. If there is a grounded conducting object
nearby then the coil will discharge to it instead of the air."
Tesla made his discovery about 'terrestrial stationary waves' in
a laboratory in Colorado Springs during his stay from May 1899 to
early 1900. He proved that the Earth could be used to conduct electricity
and "would be as responsive as a tuning fork to electrical
vibrations of a certain frequency". The experiment to which
you refer occurred during his stay in Colorado Springs when he lit
200 lamps without wires from a distance of 25 miles (40 km) as well
as created artificial lightning, producing flashes measuring 135
feet (41 metres). http://neuronet.pitt.edu/~bogdan/tesla
In the Museum of Nikola Tesla in Belgrade, many of Tesla's inventions,
notes and photographs are archived. You can undertake a virtual
tour of the museum via the website http://www.yurope.com/org/tesla.
The Museum notes that "with his oscillator he was the first
to succeed in producing currents of high frequency and of several
million volts ... The high frequency oscillator with the big transformer
... of about 50,000 volts, speaks of Tesla's genius and illustrates
the [production] of light without wires." You can listen to
the sound made by the oscillators as well as peruse some spectacular
photographs on the website.
In 1900 he commenced experiments in wireless broadcasting: converting
sound into electricity for transmission at high frequencies. However,
these were abandoned due to financial difficulties and labour unrest.
Tesla's book, Experiments with Alternate Currents of High Potential
and High Frequency, was published in 1904. This text as well as
others by and about him are held in the State Library of Queensland's
collection. The catalogue can be accessed online http://slq.qld.gov.au.
Whose idea was the dog biscuit?
F. H. Bennett is credited with the invention of the first dog biscuit
in 1908. His company (the F.H. Bennett Company) created the small
bone shaped biscuit which began as a novelty item made from a combination
of minerals, meat products, and milk. It was the only product of
the company that remained in production after the National Biscuit
Company (Nabisco) took over the Bennett bakery in 1931. Nabisco
named the product Milk-Bone and marketed it as "dog's dessert".
(Source: "World of Inventions" 2nd ed.)
Was the Swiss army knife really developed for the Swiss Army?
Yes it was. The Swiss army knife was first produced for the Swiss
military by Karl Elsner in 1891. It was a wood-handled device with
a newly designed spring mechanism that allowed such utensils as
a bottle opener, screwdriver and finger-nail file to fold alongside
the blade. The civillian equivalent also designed by Elsner and
had a red handle so that it could be found easily in snow. (Source:
"World of Inventions" 2nd ed.)
Who invented the frisbee and was it any original idea or was there
any older forerunner?
Submitted by: M.Fisher, 9 May
According to our reference book "Invention and discoveries
1993: what's happened, what's coming, what's that?", the frisbee
was "invented by students at Yale University in 1947, who played
with aluminium pie plates. These came from a Bridgeport baker, Joseph
Frisbie, who was a regular supplier to the University. In 1948 a
young American just out of the army, Fred Morrisson, applied for
a patent for a similar disc in plastic. Later he granted the license
to the California firm Wham-O (inventors of the hula- hoop), who,
having heard about the origins of the game, called it Frisbee."
Who invented the coffee percolator?
Submitted by: K.Murphy, New Farm, 8 May
There are several claimants to the honour of inventing the coffree
percolator but the one that seems to be most likely is Benjamin
Thompson, 1753-1814 (also known as Count Rumford). Several sources
credit him with the invention of the coffee percolator as well as
the double boiler, range stove, pressure cooker and thermos bottle.
I was not able to find a precise date relating to these. Thompson's
experiments and inventions occurred in Bavaria in about the 1780s.
(World of Invention: History's Most Significant Inventions and the
Prople Behind Them, Gale, 1999)
The first patent for an electric coffee percolator was taken out
by James H. Nason for Franklin, Mass. U.S. in 1865.
Has anyone used eucalypt or banksia species as bonasai tree?
Why not?
Submitted by: Dr K.Lyonns, Enoggera, 1 May
Bonsai is indeed achieved with Australian plants. In the following
book, (still in print if you wish to purchase it):
- Call Number: PAM 635.9772 1983
- Author: Koreshoff, Dorothy
- Title: Bonsai with Australian native plants: you too can grow
bonsai; Dorothy & Vita Koreshoff; illustrations by Dorothy
& Vita Koreshoff; photography by Penny Turner
- Published: Brisbane : Boolarong Publications, 1983
- Description: vii, 56 p., 14 p. of col. plates : ill. ; 24 cm.
- ISBN: 0-9081-7566-3
- Subjects: Bonsai - Australia
The Koreshoffs discuss techniques, fertilizers, soils, pruning
etc for bonsai with paperbarks, Eucalypt & Angophora, bottlebrush,
Banksia and many other Australian species. Regarding the Eucalypts,
they have had more success with E. siligna, (Sydney Blue Gum) E.
nicholii, (Peppermint Gum); E. maculata, (Spotted Gum) and E. sideroxylon
(Pink Flowering Ironbark).
You might be also be interested in the following web sites regarding
bonsai with Australian native plants:
- Australian Bonsai Suppliers
- http://www.users.bigpond.com/greg.mccall/supplier.html
- ABC TV Gardening Australia : Australian Bonsai
- http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s4309.htm
- ABC TV Gardening Australia : Australian Bonsai Pt. 2
- http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s53969.htm
- Acacia
- http://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/acacia.html
Who's idea was it to use 5 x 3 inch cards for public access library
catalogues?
Submitted by Alex, South Brisbane, 12 May
The Encyclopedia and Library Information Science tells us that
a standard was set for catalogue cards by the Cooperation Committee
of the American Library Association in 1877, who first "recommended
the standard card size should be 5 x 12.5 cm but settled on the
present standard size of 7.5 x 125 mm or 2.95 x 4.92 inches. The
practice of referring to library catalog cards as 3 x 5 cards commonly
is used, but is not correct and Dewey wrote about the practice in
1929". (This could be seen as pedantic of course, because until
now they are still referred to as 3 x 5, even though most libraries
are automated.)
Until 1877 various libraries in the US had a range of dimensions
for their catalogue cards This information comes from the encyclopedia
mentioned above, which is published in New York by Marcel Dekker
Inc. 1968 and is taken from Vol. 14, pages 450 +
Where does the term 'bouquet of flowers' come from?
A 'bouquet' of flowers. Where does this term come from? Joseph
Banks uses the word in some of his botanical classifications. Was
he the first to use the word or was it used before then. Where did
the word "Bouquet" come from? The word (I think) originated
in 18th century. Did it have anything to do with Henry Bouquet?
Submitted by J.Tracey, West End, 23 May
Thank you for your enquiry about the use of the word 'bouquet'.
The Oxford English Dictionary indicates that it was adopted from
the French word which originally meant 'little wood'. The first
written reference identified by the Oxford English Dictionary is
the use of the word 'bouquet' in the letters of Lady M. W. Montague,
where she refers to "a large bouquet of jewels, made like natural
flowers". According to the Oxford, these letters were written
somewhere between 1716 and 1718. This predates the 1743 birth of
Joseph Banks by some years. The next reference in the Oxford is
dated 1768. In A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy 1768,
Laurence Stern wrote "He had wrapt [paper] round the stalks
of a bouquet to keep it together".
Who invented with internet?
Submitted by L.Carroll, New Farm, 15 June
The internet was "created in 1973 by the United States Department
of Defense as a way to integrate its research facilities and people".
This information appears in 'The People's almanac presents the twentieth
century' by David Wallechinsky, page 588.
Who invented the ride-on-bouncing-ball that was a popular children's
toy in the seventies and featured in an episode of the goodies where
they bounced around the world on them?
Submitted by Violet, Red Hill, 19 June 2001
The ride-on bouncing ball was called a 'space-hopper' as well
as the 'Kangaroo Ball', 'Hop Ball', 'Hoppity Hop' and so on. To
name the inventor might be a bit difficult because the hopping ball
has gone through changes, adaptations and various manufacturer's.
However, the name Aquilino Cosini is associated with the phenomenon.
He is named as the manufacturer of the gymnastic ball since 1963
- this ball (originally called the PON PON) underwent changes to
improve performance and safety. Mr Cosini's patent for jumping ball
production can be seen at the About.com web site given below.
Also, you can visit the Ladraplastic (Mr Cosini's company) web
site at the following address
http://www.gymnic.com/index.html
Have a look at the following About.com site to get more information
and to follow some links:
http://inventors.about.com/science/inventors/library/inventors/blspacehopper.htm
Who
invented the excavator? When and why was it invented?
Submitted by BJM, 5 July 2001
Some ideas have been gleaned from books held at the State Library,
but the difficulty is knowing exactly which excavator you might
be thinking of! The main types of excavators are the steam excavators,
cable excavators and hydraulic excavators.
So I'll start at the very beginning! The following quote from a
book at the Library (Giant Earthmovers: an illustrated History by
Keith Haddock) gives a good introduction -
"The cable operated excavator is the earliest documented self-
powered machine ever used to move earth. Its earliest form, the
steam shovel, has roots going back to the very first mechanical
excavator, the Otis Steam Shovel of 1835. Today, cable excavators
have all been eclipsed by other types of equipment, such as hydraulic
excavators, wheel loaders, and tractor mounted attachments. The
cable excavators that do survive are the large shovels and draglines,
usually electrically powered, and found in surface mining and quarrying
operations."
Another book held at the State Library (Vintage Excavators by Michael
D J Irwin), says that the history of mechanical excavators started
when the Grimshaw Steam Excavator was built in Tyneside, England,
in 1796. This was mounted on a barge, powered by a 4 horsepowered
steam engine, and used to dredge rivers and estuaries. Only one
machine appears to be have been built and there are no drawings!
This book says the Otis Steam Engine was then built in the States,
in 1834 by Eastwick and Harrison, of Philadelphia. (An interesting
note is the Panama Canal was built between 1904 and 1914, using
102 steam shovels!)
The first slew excavator was built in 1884, by a Leeds company
called Whitaker and Sons. It created the first 360 degree slew shovel.
In 1881/2 Sir W.G. Armstrong and Co undertook the design and manufacture
of the world's first hydraulic excavator, based on the lines of
the Ruston tower crane (a steam crane navvy). Several machines were
built, but further development in hydraulic steam excavators did
not follow for the next 70 years.
In 1889, an Osgood railway shovel was powered by 2 electric motors.
This was the next big change to the excavator, the introduction
of electric motors and petrol and diesel engines.
In the 1930's the use of hydraulics increased, largely through
the development of nitrile rubbers (An Encyclopedia of the History
of Technology edited by Ian McNeil, also available from the State
Library). The first application was by La Plante Choate on the Caterpillar
Angledozer about 1935.
According to the Encyclopedia of, the last 25-30 years has seen
the bucket wheel excavator produced, by a West German company Orenstein
and Koppel of Lubeck.
As you can see, the who and the when is rather complicated! The
why, comes down to the basic need of humans to move earth!!
When was The Inventors screened on the ABC?
Submitted by K.Murphy, 5 July 2001
Thank you for your enquiry about the ABC television program "The
Inventors". According to the book, This is the ABC: The Australian
Broadcasting Commission: 1932-1983 by Ken Inglis, "The Inventors"
was introduced in 1970 "in imitation of the BBC TV "Inventors'
Club" which had begun in 1948." This information appears
on page 296.
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